


Secrets From Our American Dreams

by Secret_Glances



Category: DCU (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws, Teen Titans (Comics)
Genre: M/M, New 52, Post-Reboot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-21
Updated: 2013-07-21
Packaged: 2017-12-20 21:43:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/892221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Secret_Glances/pseuds/Secret_Glances
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He vowed that he would learn from his mistakes. He would do anything to never let them happen again.<br/>It just isn’t worth it.</p><p>That’s why he has a list. A list of things he would get done.</p><p>If making sure his parents were safe was the most important thing on his list, than rescuing Superboy was more than a close second.<br/>Because the only thing as scary as losing his parents would be to let Superboy die.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Secrets From Our American Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> “From the moment I saw Tim - It was clear he was going to forge his own destiny.” – Batman, Teen Titans #0.

 

Timothy Jackson Drake is a planner, and a perfectionist.

He knows how to plot, prepare, and how to be ten steps ahead of everyone – including Batman, and Superman combined.

When he wants something done, he knows how to get it done the right way. When he wants something, he knows how to get it. He also knows how to prepare for any changes or road bumps in his path. He knows these things very well, too well, because he’s learned from his _mistakes._

He vowed that he would learn from his mistakes. He would do anything to never let them happen again.

 

It just isn’t worth it.

 

That’s why he has a list. A list of things he would get done.

A list of what he wants.

None of it is in any specific order of when it needs to get it done. Just as long as he gets it done, then he can live with himself. But, he guessed there was a little bias in what he put in order of importance...

 

**7\. Join the Gymnastics Team**

Tim has always craved more than what the world around him could offer. So he joined just about…everything. As a teenager, he was pretty much the best at whatever he did. The debate team, the mathletes, student government, and even in physical activities – gymnastics, it was the sport he felt he could really excel at. It was also the only one that could make him release all the energy he had pent up inside.

Sometimes he felt like he had something inside of him waiting to explode, waiting to escape, but he just wanted to keep it inside. He just wanted to be a normal teenager. He hated words like ‘potential’, ‘talented’, and especially ‘promising’.  

It was actually after one of his gymnastics meets when his father sat him down to have a talk.

He could see the ticking bomb that waited inside of Tim’s mind.

He told Tim he knew he was special. He knew Tim didn’t _really_ need him or his mom. He knew Tim could take care of himself, and that Tim should go after more than what they could give, because he was special.

“You have the chance to be something like I never was…I want you to know…it’s okay to _want_ more.”

But Tim? Tim didn’t care about achievements. He didn’t care if people thought he was the best or smart or anything. He cared about only one thing…

“And I want you to know – no grade, no trophy, nothing I’ve ever done or will do – will _mean_ more than having you as _my_ father.”

…to live a happy, normal life with his family. All he really wanted to do was be able to grow up with his mom and dad, have late night banana splits, and make them proud.

But Tim knew his father was right. He didn’t just need to want more, he _had_ to go after more.

Maybe that’s why he always craved to improve himself both mentally and as physically as he could. Maybe that’s why he joined the gymnastics team, and studied so hard. He always knew in his heart that no matter what he _really_ wanted, he was destined for more.

So he made a choice and went back to his list…

 

**3\. Become Robin**

Bruce Wayne could personally tell you how difficult it was trying to convince Tim that he should stop pursuing him to become Robin. Because, before he could even blink an eye, it became him convincing Tim he was a good enough Batman to work with.

Crazy right?

Tim is a little crazy.

Suddenly he was the one auditioning for Tim.

Tim’s just that good at manipulating people, including _the_ Batman.

It was a little strange though. You would think with the intellect of Tim Drake’s mind he would have quickly deduced his identity, but he came the closest of anyone to figuring it out though.

What Bruce Wayne didn’t know yet, however, was that Tim is always ten steps ahead of everyone.

Figuring out his identity shouldn’t be that easy anyways.

So of course he would only come oh so, very, very, _very_ , close…but never actually get it.

It would be even crazier than Tim himself to think a kid his age could figure out he was Batman so young.

Although, with this kid, more insane things have happened. Like when he pissed off the Penguin to attract Batman’s attention, and become Robin. Of course, at a cost…

“I’ve spoken to your parents. They are very shaken up – as you can imagine. They care for you very deeply.”

“And I nearly got them _killed_ while playing boy detective. Do you think I don’t know that, Batman?”

 …endangering his parent’s lives.

But really, Bruce should have known by then. Tim is always ten steps ahead of everyone…

 

**1\. Keep Mom and Dad alive**

As long as they were in the witness protection program; as long as they knew he would be working with Batman; as long as they wanted him to want more; as long as they knew he loved them and had to be as far away as possible…everything could be okay.

Tim knows very well the dangers of being a vigilante. The hardest part is never keeping yourself alive. It’s keeping the people you love alive.

So they needed to be as far away as he could get them.

They understood.

“They want more for you than a life of anonymity in the middle of nowhere under an assumed name. They feel you deserve more than that.”

They really did.

“Where do I go from here?”

“Where you’ve _wanted_ to be all along. With me.”

So did Bruce.

Bruce had lost his parents…

“But let me be clear. I won’t lose _another_ Robin.”

…and Jason.

Tim never wanted to disrespect him.

In fact, he always looked up to him, besides Dick. Jason was a Robin too. So he wanted to make sure the old Robin wouldn’t hate him for becoming Batman’s new partner. He didn’t want him to feel like he was being forgotten…

 

**6\. Don’t let Jason hate you**

Tim believes a lot of people forget Jason Todd _literally_ died.

Yes, people remember their loss. They remember how they felt moving on without him. They remember what it was like to know he was brutally murdered.

Sure, Tim shouldn’t be so empathetic.

“I…wasn’t always the nicest guy in the world to you either, Drake.”

Especially when Jason had wanted _him_ dead so many times…but…

 “You came back to life, Jason. _After_ you were murdered. That was a lot to digest. _I_ get it. Maybe we’ll all get it someday.”

But most people don’t remember the guy actually died, and was brought back to life. It already sounds almost as painful as it actually is…physically and mentally.

Tim knows what it’s like to not be appreciated. He knows what it’s like to have his life stolen away from him. Even if he never actually died, he knows what it’s like to have people forget he has emotions too. He has needs.

He could see how Jason felt about Joker still running a muck around Gotham.

He could see how Jason felt about seeing _him_ running alongside Bruce like nothing changed.

He gets it. Really.

He likes to believe Jason is starting to see that he does. He thinks that’s the _main_ reason why he was willing to help him find the thieving grifter, Cassie Sandsmark…

 

**4\. Find Wonder Girl and Kid Flash**

Tim had seen the files Bruce was looking at when he entered the Batcave for the first time since the Penguin attacked his home.

They were of all the different super powered kids running around without a cause.

That included Cassie Sandsmark: A mysterious thief with the abilities of Wonder Woman, and a lasso to match.

She had more to give to the world than a few missing cars and bags of ‘borrowed’ treasure.

All of those kids did, just like him. They should want more, especially if they had powers.

They were special. They should be heroes.

Kid Flash saw that immediately. Tim needed to find him too, but he figured an angry girl destroying everything in her path would be easier to catch first than a speedster.

But Kid Flash would come to him eventually, he knew it.

So Tim saw it fit as his duty to start a team they could fall back on.

Because super powered or not, they were still only kids. But with one another, who knows what great things they could accomplish?

“Maybe we could do great things together.”

“You were home schooled, weren’t you?”

No matter how lame it sounded to Cassie, Tim knew they needed each other, and a leader.

Tim could be their leader…

 

**5\. Form the Teen Titans**

After a lot of fighting, a lot of arguing, a lot of bleeding, and sure as hell a lot of overly cheesy speeches and preaching about being a hero he had done it.

He created the Teen Titans.

Of course Tim did.

He knows how to get things done, and done right.

If he was going to be Red Robin, then of course he was going to have his own team.

There was no way he was going to stand back and watch other kids his age be kidnapped or slaughtered one at a time if he had the power to stop it.

They needed him.

Miguel, Kiran, Bart, Cassie…all of them.

He needed them too. He’s always known the importance of having friends.

He may be fighting crime in one of the most dangerous cities on the planet, but he was still a teenager too. He needed friends to play videogames all night long with until their eyes hurt; he needed friends to talk about the newest pop sensation with and bash on the stupid boy bands; he needed friends to lean on when he has no one else.

He’s seen what it does to people to be alone in this sort of lifestyle. He worked with Bruce for God’s sake! And Damian…don’t even get him started.

He knows loneliness too.

Sometimes it’s nice to know you have friends to kick back with and eat tons of junk that’s really, really bad for you…

 

**9\. Eat tons of cheeseburgers**

Cheeseburgers is especially something Tim loves to get with his friends. Pizza is always awesome, and you can never go wrong with cold Chinese take-out. Especially if it’s been sitting in Dick’s fridge for a century and a half.

But stuff like steak, roast beef, and _cheeseburgers_ are foods Tim never really took the time to appreciate.

For the longest time, he had to stay away from red meat – that, and food with too much sugar or salt. He never realized how much he missed the cheesy, meaty, beefy goodness of a greasy cheeseburger until he couldn’t have it anymore.

His teammates make comments about it all the time. He knows Miguel’s just secretly jealous he can keep a low body fat percentage and have all the Micky D’s he craves. He knows Bart secretly believes he might be a speedster himself, and just has metabolism side effects. He knows Kiran thinks it’s an unhealthy lifestyle, but has she met Tim? Crazy. Cassie just _has_ to comment on how he would be too heavy lift someday if they ever needed to go somewhere.

He doesn’t need them to fly him anywhere. He may be the only one without powers, but there was no way he was going to depend on someone else for transportation anymore. Especially when the Redbird is down for the count…

 

**8\. Be able to fly**

So that’s why he has wings.

He’s always loved the feeling of the wind against his face, and feeling like you could do anything while you were in the air.

Tim has always wondered what it would be like to do it without needing anyone else to hold him up.

All he’s ever wanted to do was be able to spread his arms and fly. As high as he can, and never look down.

He was a boy genius, so _why not_ have wings?

Tim didn’t really care if people would make fun of his uniform, every day – Bart –, because it’s not all about fashion and style in the superhero world. It’s about having the utilities you need to get shit done.

Although, Tim would argue there are _some_ uniforms that have absolutely no taste.

Not that some heroes would know…

 

**2\. Rescue Superboy**

If making sure his parents were safe was the most important thing on his list, than rescuing Superboy was more than a close second.

Because the only thing as scary as losing his parents would be to let Superboy die.

He had to make sure they saved him from N.O.W.H.E.R.E. no matter how many times Superboy beat his team into the ground. Even if he did try to kidnap Cassie for N.O.W.H.E.R.E. Even if the first thing he ever did out of that lab was hurt Tim.

It doesn’t matter. Not to Tim. Tim had to make sure Superboy was safe.

He just had to.

“Cassie explained to me it was your idea to storm N.O.W.H.E.R.E. and, um, I guess rescue me.”

“She’s overselling my part in it. Besides, I know you would have done the same for me.”

Even if no one else understands why.

“We both know that’s not true. Which is why I wanted to say _thank you_. And ask you ‘why’?”

Even if Superboy hasn’t figured it out yet.

“As near as I can tell, you have only been out of your cloning chamber about a month. Three months max? Let’s do this – if you can’t figure it out on your own, say, in six months’ time – I’ll explain it to you. Fair?”

He will. Tim knows, undoubtedly, he will.

Tim would have, had it been him being used by N.O.W.H.E.R.E. and Superboy came for him. Tim would have figured out why without anyone telling him.

That’s how he knows Kon will get it.

Eventually.

 

Timothy Jackson Drake is a planner, and a perfectionist.

He knows how to plot, prepare, and how to be ten steps ahead of everyone – including Batman, and Superman combined.

When he wants something done, he knows how to get it done the right way. When he wants something, he knows how to get it. He also knows how to prepare for any changes or road bumps in his path. He knows these things very well, too well, because he’s learned from his _mistakes._

He vowed that he would learn from his mistakes. He would do anything to never let them happen again.

That’s why he has a list. A list of things he would get done.

A list of what he wants.

 

Like…

 

**10\. No Cowl, this time. Too hot.**

 

 

He always liked the domino mask better.

Because if there’s any mistake Tim wouldn’t make again, it would be to wear a cowl.

Swing around with sweaty head gear all night while getting a headache?

 

Just not worth it.

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> First off, I don’t own any of the quotes in this story.  
> Second, I write way too many stories about Tim remembering the old universe.
> 
> But uh, the cheeseburger thing was because without a spleen he probably had to change his diet.
> 
> The uniform thing was a reference to when Tim called Conner’s t-shirt and jeans un-stylish if you didn’t know.
> 
> You didn't have to look at it as a TimKon pairing if you're not into that. I am, so it's tagged that way, but it could just be a really strong friendship too if you want. 
> 
> Anyways, I wrote this, because sometimes I wonder if there’s anyone else out there who believes Tim really does remember the old universe. After reading Teen Titans #10 and #0 I really feel like he does. So it’s been impossible for me to write a story where he doesn’t…maybe I’m wrong, but ah well!
> 
> originally, I was going to call this thing 'The List'. But then I was listening to 'Hero' by Family of the Year.


End file.
